Berg Hot Springs, Germany
This previously ignored rural town became a certified spa getaway once a hot spring was found 4,000 feet below it. Needless to say, since then, Berg has attracted the most visitors in the Bravenburg region short of Potsdam (which is only just edging it out for the number one spot). The springs have salt and mineral levels similar to those of the Dead Sea; the town contains a multitude of luxury hotels such as Spreewald-Therme and Zur Bleiche. Both opened their doors about five years ago, and offer expansive spa facilities. Next time you find yourself in a bustling German metropolis don”€™t be surprised if you hear the name Berg whispered amongst those who are in dyer need to de-stress.

The Paris Autumn Festival, through November
Founded by Michel Guy—with support from Georges Pompidou—in 1972, The Paris Autumn Festival is a four-month long love ballad to French art. Participating artists and performers are asked to produce new works solely for the festival, which makes the event a particularly strong draw for those looking to keep their pulse on contemporary French art. This year, expect plenty of film, dance, theater, visual arts, and music exhibitions. It is events such as these that make France synonymous with culture. 

Buchstabenmuseum, Berlin
This unusual museum—it’s dedicated to typography—houses a huge collection of signs old and new and displays them outside of their context so that the emphasis is on the character itself. This preservation of letter forms, as the curators call it, is intentioned to remind people of the inherent beauty found in the individual letter and not necessarily its context. They rely on large format signs because it recalls a time when creating a letter took time, thought, and effort, and a time where there was no such thing as highlighting everything and changing the font at the click of a button. Where else can you so closely examine the letter “a”? 

London Open House Weekend
For just one weekend, some of London’s finest buildings will open their doors to professionals and the public alike.  This special two-day affair offers quite a breadth of views—from the classic architectural feats of buildings such as Aspley House in Hyde Park to more contemporary examples in sustainability, such as the tiny Luxe Pods in South Kensington. Doors are opened throughout London’s vast neighborhoods, so carefully planning your visit is a must. But trust us—it will take you through a virtual evolutionary chart of London architecture through the centuries. 

798 Beijing Art Zone
This contemporary Chinese art space was once home to a bustling factory, but in recent years visionary artists took notice of the abandoned space’s cheap rent (and potential) and decided to turn it into one of China’s premiere art spaces. It now houses numerous galleries, art dealers, and shops from a young and upcoming generation of Chinese artists looking to shed and oppose the rigid culture in which they grew up—and put Beijing in the leagues of cities known for their artistic output.